Meta Keywords vs. Content Keywords Strategies

Keyword Strategies used by SEO Experts

SEO Strategy #2: Keyword rich content, keyword rich content, well, you get the idea ... keyword rich content

Should I write content around keywords or keywords around content?

Actually, a little bit of both with more emphasis on keywords around content.

There are two separate ways you should use keywords:

(1) For Humans: in your content; and

(2) For Robots: in your file names, directory names, meta data, images, and URL titles.

It is also important to note that the same keywords and information you provide to robots in alt attribute tags and images titles are used by screen readers, so some of these things should also make good sense for the visions impaired humans who also "read" things that are otherwise semi-invisible to web visitors.

Remember, while it is true you need robots to help you get traffic to your site, robots do not have VISA and they do not carry cash and robots will not buy your products or services. Cater to humans (they have money.)

Write Content First, Keywords Second

This may fly in the face of advice from other SEO experts who will tell you to write your content around your keywords, but I am a firm believer in serving your customers and clients first with honesty, integrity, and information based on its value to readers - not to robots.

Think of it this way: This web page is not about macaroni so why would I use that as a keyword? Attracting people looking for mac-n-cheese recipes to this page would be a waste of time and if they did d land here, they would not find what they are looking for and just "bounce" (leave the site) in disgust. SEO lies do not build customer relationships. Period.

After writing to your targeted human market go back and do some basic editing, adding SEO flourishes using keywords in image captions and paragraph headers for emphasis, placing the most important content near the top of the page, in bolded or italics text, etc. ... but, and I will say this slowly for emphasis, for maximum search engine recognition write ... content ... for ... people!

Keywords Are For Robots, Silly Human

Content should sound natural, written to inform, inspire, enlighten (or cleverly sell) - or whatever your goal is. You should not write content to appeal only to robot interests. Robots do not buy your goods and services - people do.

Keywords are for robots. Because humans use keywords in their searches you should find creative ways to use keywords to facilitate better matches in search engine queries - but don't force them.

Instead of being overzealous with keywords in your content (which will only makes you look like you have poor writing skills) be a little more aggressive when inserting keywords into file and directory names, page titles, url names, and alt and title tags, and metadata.

Here is a good example of bad content forcing keywords:

Should you write keywords for content or content for keywords? If you are not sure if you should write keywords for content or content for keywords then read our article about keywords and content.

The above provides absolutely no value to humans and was clearly written for robots. Remember: people are not robots and (say it with me) robots do not carry VISA.

How to Write Content to Get Into Search Engine Graces

Content = cater to people first; robots second.

It really is that simple.

Two other important SEO strategies to get search engines to visit, index, and love your website:

• #1 SEO completes robots. This is where what most people think of as SEO comes into play. Page titles, metadata, and playing tag >>SEO the Little Things
  
  
• #2 Website Infrastructure. The most important thing (because it is the hardest thing to fix if you do it poorly) for ensuring a fully optimized website is to start with solid infrastructure. >>SEO and Website Infrastructure

Back to Top